Sea bass, broad bean and strawberry risotto

Sea bass, broad bean and strawberry risotto

Recipe by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

Photo by Rachel Zammit Cutajar

Who says strawberries are just for dessert? We love to make the best use of seasonal ingredients and aren’t strawberries just irresistible right now? Mix them with broad beans, add to risotto and top with a pan-fried fillet of sea bass. Eat local, seasonal food. It’s good for you and it tastes better and there are millions of different flavour combinations that work really well.

Sea bass, broad bean and strawberry risotto

Serves 2

Ingredients

  • 1 wild sea bass, filleted (reserve head and bones to make a fish stock)
  • 1 lemon, zest and juice
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 200g broad beans, shelled 
  • 1.5 litres fish stock (made with leftover heads and bones)
  • 1 glass white wine
  • 250g arborio rice
  • 100g butter
  • 200g strawberries, hulled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp chives, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped 
Sea bass with strawberry and broad bean risotto

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. 
  2. Season the skin side of the fish fillets with salt and pepper and lemon zest and set aside. 
  3. Heat the fish stock in a saucepan. 
  4. In a separate pan, saute the onions in a little bit of butter and some olive oil until soft and translucent.
  5. Finely chop the stalks of the parsley and add to the onion with the garlic and broad beans and season with salt and pepper. 
  6. Add the rice and fry until the rice is almost transparent. 
  7. Add the glass of wine and cook, gently stirring, until the liquid has been absorbed. 
  8. Add a ladleful of stock and stir until the liquid has been absorbed, repeating until the rice is cooked al dente. 
  9. In the meantime, fry the fish, skin-side down in hot oil, for about a minute until crispy. 
  10. Finish in the oven for 4-5 mins until the fish is cooked through.
  11. When the rice is ready, add the strawberries, fresh, herbs, lemon zest and lemon juice and remaining butter, mix well, cover and allow to rest for a couple of mins. 
  12. Place some risotto in serving plates and top with a fillet of sea bass and sprinkle some more herbs and a slice of lemon on the top and serve immediately. 

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